After childbirth, the placenta is usually delivered within half an hour. So what should be done with the placenta? You've probably heard of or seen people eating the placenta, and whether it's edible has always been a controversial topic. Some people believe the placenta is a rare and valuable food with many health benefits, and should be taken home for the new mother or family members to eat. Others, however, find eating the placenta terrifying, feeling it's like eating human flesh, and also worry about hygiene, so they dare not consume it. So, is the placenta safe to eat?
What is the placenta?
First, let's take a look at what the placenta is. As we all know, the fetus grows and develops in the mother's uterus, requiring all the nutrients provided by the mother. The placenta is the organ through which the mother and fetus exchange substances. The baby's needs for eating, drinking, excretion, and elimination all pass through the placenta.
In early pregnancy, placental cells continuously invade the mother's uterine wall, anchoring the fetus firmly in the uterus like rivets; at the same time, placental cells fuse with the blood vessels of the mother's uterus, forming a "mother-baby highway" for transporting nutrients and oxygen.
The essential substances needed for a baby's growth and development, such as proteins, fats, amino acids, water, and minerals, are stored in tiny forms in the mother's blood. When the mother's blood flows through the placenta, these substances are supplied to the fetus through the placenta.
Similarly, when the baby receives these substances, it also passes its own metabolic waste to the mother through the placenta, and the mother then excretes the waste through her respiratory and urinary systems.
In the mid-to-late stages of pregnancy, the placenta also becomes a secretory organ, synthesizing various hormones such as human chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, estrogen, and progesterone. At the same time, the placenta also produces interferon, immunoglobulins, and various growth factors.
Regarding the question of whether or not the placenta can be eaten, there are different opinions between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Western medicine believes that the placenta has low nutritional value and recommends against eating it; while traditional Chinese medicine believes that the placenta has the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys and is a rare tonic.
Western medicine: It may indicate an infection and is not recommended to eat it.
Modern Western medicine considers the placenta to be simply a protein source. While it has some nutritional value and can be used as an ingredient in some traditional Chinese medicines, it is not the highly nutritious tonic comparable to ginseng, as some have claimed. The placenta is indeed rich in nutrients such as protein, sugar, calcium, and vitamins, but these basic nutrients can be obtained from a regular diet; the placenta offers no advantage in this regard. Although it contains abundant immunoglobulins, these immunoglobulins cannot be directly absorbed and utilized after entering the human digestive tract. They are gradually broken down by digestive juices, eventually transforming into amino acids and completely losing their original disease-fighting and immune-boosting effects.
The exact benefits of consuming placenta to the human body remain to be determined, but if one were to consume a placenta carrying an infectious disease, the harm would be substantial.
While hospitals won't allow you to take the placenta from a sick mother and will dispose of it as medical waste, there's no guarantee that problematic placentas won't end up on the market. Some placentas may carry viruses such as measles, hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis due to the mother's illness, especially if the mother had a blood-borne infectious disease (such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV). Consuming such placentas can lead to foodborne illnesses.
Even for healthy expectant mothers, except in cases of cesarean section, the placenta must pass through the birth canal during delivery, inevitably becoming contaminated with various bacteria. Consuming it fresh poses varying degrees of potential risk, and without strict sterilization, it can also transmit infectious diseases. Therefore, from a safety perspective, it is recommended to avoid eating it.
Traditional Chinese Medicine: High nutritional value can nourish the body
Unlike modern Western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers the placenta to be highly nutritious, especially beneficial for nourishing the kidneys. Its trace elements can enhance antibodies and boost immunity. The placenta is a medicinal herb in TCM, with a specific explanation: it is sweet, salty, and warm in nature, entering the lung, heart, and kidney meridians, and has the functions of tonifying the kidneys and replenishing essence, as well as nourishing qi and blood. Because the dried placenta turns purple when used medicinally, it is also known as "Zi He Che" in TCM.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), placenta can be used to treat symptoms such as qi and blood deficiency, sallow complexion, shortness of breath, and fatigue. It is particularly effective in tonifying the kidneys and boosting yang in individuals diagnosed with "kidney qi deficiency" according to TCM, and can therefore be used for symptoms such as lower back pain, weak legs, dizziness, tinnitus, and impotence. For patients with concurrent yin deficiency and internal heat, placenta can be used in combination with tortoise shell, phellodendron bark, and prepared rehmannia root.
When using placenta to make traditional Chinese medicine, it is best to use placenta from healthy mothers who have given birth vaginally. To process it yourself, first cut open the large blood vessels on the surface, soak it in cold water, wash it clean, and remove the blood. Then place it in a clay pot (without water), place a mesh over it, and bake it until the moisture is dried and it becomes brittle. Completely crush the placenta into powder and drink it, 2-3 times daily, 2-3 grams each time, orally. It can also be taken with other traditional Chinese medicines, but it is best to consult a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner for guidance based on the patient's condition, as the more herbs combined, the more complex the pharmacological effects.
